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Renovations at the St. George Utah Temple are nearly done. An open house and rededication have been scheduled for later in 2023.

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A staircase in the St. George Utah Temple.

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The St. George Utah Temple chapel.

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The Manti Utah Temple in spring.

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The Manti Utah Temple rests on the dominate hill in Manti.

Courtesy Intellectual Reserve

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It will be a family affair for President Jeffrey R. Holland, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as he prepares to rededicate the St. George legacy temple Dec. 10 in two sessions with his son, Elder Matthew S. Holland, General Authority Seventy.

The St. George temple was where President Holland went for his first temple experience prior to his mission and again when he was married and sealed for eternity to his wife, Patricia Terry Holland. She passed away in July.

Visitors have been able to see the interiors of the temple during an open house that lasted from Sept. 30 to Nov. 11. The pioneer-era house of the Lord had been closed for extensive renovation since November 2019.

“I have just been emotional all day thinking about what my forebears and their fellow citizens and fellow believers did in this community,” Elder Holland said during the media day at the open house. “My mom and my dad are from St. George. And on my mother’s side, I’m the fifth generation that was sealed in the St. George Temple. So our affections and loyalties to this place are about as deep as you can get.”

Andy Kirby, director of the church’s historic temple renovations, was excited for people to see the beauty of the renovated temple, which has been updated with a new mechanical system.

“It has (an) all-new heating, air conditioning and cooling system … LED lighting and state-of-the-art high-efficiency systems throughout the temple, so it will operate in an efficient way for many years,” Kirby said. “I think the pioneers who built this would be pleased with our work. They would be satisfied that we preserved their efforts and the beauty and the intent of their work.”

According to the church, the sacred structure is more accessible, with added elevators, better stairs, walkways and hallways. There is also a new baptistry entrance on the south side of the temple and a bride’s exit on the northeast corner.

“The interior design matches the historic temple and furnishings that would have been appropriate in the 1870s and 1880s,” Kirby said.

The landscaping on the temple grounds now includes water-wise plants, and the irrigation system is enhanced with secondary water.

Manti Temple

Along with the dedication of the St. George Temple, the first temple completed in Utah, the First Presidency of the church has also released the open house and rededication dates for the pioneer-era Manti Utah Temple.

A public open house will run from March 14 through April 5, 2024, excluding Sundays. Before the public open house, a media day will be held March 11. Invited guests will tour the temple March 11-13.

The temple rededication will be held April 21 and will be broadcast to all units in the Manti Utah Temple district. Additional details regarding the rededication will be announced at a future date.

Church President Russell M. Nelson announced the renovation and renewal of the Manti Temple in April 2019. The renovation began in 2021.

This historic pioneer-era temple, originally constructed by hand, began a multiyear renovation that included mechanical updates and other changes in preparation for future generations.

Original plans to construct the house of the Lord in Manti were announced on June 25, 1875, by then-President Brigham Young. Ground was broken on April 25, 1877, and Wilford Woodruff, then-president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, dedicated the temple on May 21, 1888.

In June 1985, President Gordon B. Hinckley of the First Presidency rededicated the Manti Temple after renovation.

The Salt Lake City temple which has been under major reconstruction since Dec. 29, 2019, is expected to open in 2024; however, some delays could push that to sometime in 2025, the church has said. As with St. George and Manti, the Salt Lake Temple will have an open house and rededication when completed.

There are 28 temples in Utah, which is home to nearly 2.2 million Latter-day Saints, according to church figures. The other Utah temples in operation, under construction or announced are in Bountiful, Brigham City, Cedar City, Deseret Peak, Draper, Ephraim, Heber Valley, Jordan River, Layton, Lindon, Logan, Monticello, Mount Timpanogos, Ogden, Oquirrh Mountain, Orem, Payson, Provo City Center, Provo, Red Cliffs, Salt Lake, Saratoga Springs, Smithfield, St. George, Syracuse, Taylorsville and Vernal.

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